Overshoe rack



March 28, 1967 J. MIKLYA z OVERSHOE RACK Filed March ll, 1965 IN VENTOR.

BYJof/N Myx/ YH ff@ GWW/ United States Patent C) 3,311,242 OVERSHOE RACK `Iolln Miklya, 529 11th Ave. N., South St. Paul, Minn. 55112 Filed Mar. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 438,859 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-37) The present invention relates to a rack for supporting and storing overshoes, boots, and the like.

During the season of their use, the temporary storage of overshoes or boots presents a Well-known inconvenience. If left on the door of halls or closets, they can be inadvertently kicked or scattered. A common complaint of homemakers is that boots and overshoes seem to be always in the way. Furthermore, particularly in climates, such as in northern climates where overshoes and boots become covered with snow (which soon melts indoors), or wet with rain water or mud, drainage presents a special and often annoying lloor maintenance problem.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a novel, simply constructed, practically useful, rack on which overshoes, boots, and the like can `be neatly stored indoors in such a way as to avoid or minimize soiling of floors and walls by water or dirt dra-ining from the overshoes. A further objective is the provision of an overshoe rack of readily variable dimension so as to t conveniently in storage areas or closets of limited size or unusual dimensions. The manner in which these and other objects and advantages have been achieved will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to corresponding parts of the Several views, and 4in which:

FIGURE l is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a lateral sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial top View taken generally along the lines 3-3 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 shows a pair of the racks of FIGURE 1 assembled in tiers; and

FIGURE 5 illustrates the assemblage of the overshoe rack of FIGURE l end to end.

Referring now to FIGURES l-3, the rack, which can be formed of sheet metal, with the several parts bolted or riveted together, is seen to comprise a pair of rectangular end supports itl and 12 disposed in spaced parallel relation. Between the end panels are disposed a pair of overshoe supporting members, namely a heel support 14 and a shoe-top support 16. Each of these supports 14 and 16 is an elongate asse-mblage affixed at its opposite ends to end panels 1t) and 12.

Actually, each of these supports 14 and 16 is made up of a pair of mating members which slide together and apart for adjusting the length of the rack. Thus heel support 14 at one end is composed of a rectangular member or bar 18 and a second member or bar 26, the latter being provided along its major edges with anges 22 and 24 folded over partially to envelop the upper and lower edges of the bar 18. Thus bar 18 can be slid within or pulled from bar 20 so as to shorten or lengthen, respectively, the composite length of the heel support 14. At their ends, the two members 18 and 20 are similarly folded at right anglesI to provide an end bracket by which the members are aixed, e.g. bolted or riveted, to end panels and 12, the end bracket 26 being shown in FIG- URE 2.

Similarly, the shoe-top support 16 is made up of members 28 and 30, the latter being provided along its major edges with anges 32 and 34 folded over and partially enveloping the upper and lower edges, respectively, of

member 20. At their ends members 28 and 30 are similarly provided with end brackets for fastening to end panels 10 and 12, the end bracket 36 of member 30 being shown in FIGURE 2.

In their longitudinal (lateral) dimension, heel support 14 and shoe-top support 16 are generally horizontally positioned between the end supports y10 and 12 (FIG. 1). However, the surface 38 of the heel support facing shoetop support 16 is preferably -inclined with said surface 38 tilted upwardly slightly. In the device shown, said heel support is inclined such that the surface 38 is tilted about from the vertical. I have found that when the heel support is thus inclined, overshoes are more stably supported in my rack device.

In the device shown, the shoe-top support 16 is d-isposed generally in a vertical plane: see FIGURES 2 and 3. The upper edge 4t) of the top support is preferably disposed below the top edge of the heel support, such that when a pair of overshoes are inserted in the device (as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2), the -heel or sole of the overshoe will bear more or less flatly against the surface 33 of the heel support, and the overshoe top will extend over, bear against, and be supported by said upper edge 40 of the shoe-top support 16. `In this way, the toe of the overshoe is pointed generally downwardly, permitting good drainage of any water, melted snow, etc. existing on the overshoes as put away for temporary storage; yet the sole support provides some direct bearing support against the heel or sole.V

Below the heel support 14 and shoe-top support 16 is an elongate tray 42 composed of matin-g tray halves 44 and 46. Tray half 44 has a rectangular base 48, folded up along its side edges to form side panels 5t! and 52, and along one end adjacent end support 10 to form end panel 53. The corner edges Where side panels 50 and 52 respectively join end panel 53 are soldered or otherwise joined and sealed to form a waterproof joint. The mating tray half 46 is likewise provided with a rectangular base 54, side panels 56 and 58, and end panel 39 joined at its corners with the side panels in a waterproof joint. The dimensions of the -mating tray member 46 are slightly greater than those of tray member 44 so as to permit the latter to slide snugly with-in the mating tray member 46. In addition, the side members for side panels 56 and 58 of tray half 46 are each provided with an extension which is folded over to envelop the side panels 50 and 52 of the tray half 44. Thus the tray 42 can be shortened or lengthened by sliding the member 44 into or from the mating tray member 46.

The tray 42 sets on end brackets 61') and 62, bolted or riveted to end panels 1t) and 12, respectively. Bracket 6i) is positioned somewhat lower than bracket 62 so that, when in position, tray 42 slopes downwardly from the right to the left, as viewed in FIGURE 1. Thus, any water dripping from `boots or shoes stored in the rack will collect and form a pool in the tray 42 adjacent end support 10. The slope in the tray prevents Water running toward end support 10 from seeping under the joint between tray members 44 and 46 and leaking from the tray. Being readily removable, tray 42 easily can be emptied of drainage water collected therein.

The size of my novel rack can be varied, as can the dimensions and distances between the several parts, depending upon the type of overshoes or boots for which it is to be used. Generally speaking, I have found that where the relation between the heel support 14 and top support 16 is such that conventional male adults overshoes or boots are accommodated thereby, smaller sized ladies or childrens overshoes can also 4be held by the device by leaning the heel against heel support 14 and allowing the toes to be supported by the tray 42. The

3 same is true f low cut overshoes (often called rubbers).

In order to fit within available oor or closet space, my device can be lengthened or shortened simply by grasping end panels and 12 and pressing them together, or pulling them apart. FIGURE 1 in broken lines indicates the device lengthened from the initial length shown. My device is ordinarily suficiently rigid, even extended to full length, but can be made even more rigid where desired by bolting the mating parts of support 14. To this end spaced mating holes may be provided along the length of said mating members to facilitate fastening them together to rigidify heel support 14 at any of several possible predetermined lengths.

Several of my devices can be assembled in tiers or end to end, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. To this end, pairs of equally spaced holes, 70 and 70', and 72 and 72', are drilled in panels 12 and 14, respectively, at the same distance from the top and bottoin thereof (FIG. 2). Thus, when bolted in tiers (FIG. 4), holes 70 and 70 of the lower rack match up with holes 72 and 72', respectively, of the upper rack, for the insertion of bolts 74 to fasten the racks together. Or when the racks are to be fastened end to end (FIG. 5), the correspondingly numbered holes match up for fastening with bolts 76.

Various modifications of my device undoubtedly suggest themselves from the preceding description. However, the embodiments shown have been for illustrative purposes only, and I do not intend to be limited thereto, but rather by the specification as a Whole, including the appended claims. Y

I claim:

1. A rack for supporting overshoes and the like comprising opposed end supports, a heel support and a shoetop support facing each other and extending between and supported by said end supports, said heel support being inclined with the surface facing said shoe-top support tilted upwardly slightly from the vertical, the upper edge of said shoe-top support being below the upper edge of .said heel support, said heel and shoe-top supports adapted to accommodate an overshoe with the heel resting against said surface of said heel support and the overshoe top extending over, bearing against and supported by the upper edge of said shoe-top support, and a tray removably positioned between said end supports below said heel and shoe-top supports for collecting drainage from overshoes placed in said rack.

2. A rack for supporting overshoes and the like comprising opposed end supports, a heel support and a shoetop support facing each other and extending 'between and supported by said end supports, said heel support being inclined with the surface facing said shoe-top support tilted upwardly slightly from the vertical, the upper edge of said shoe-top support being below the upper edge of said heel support, said heel and shoe-top supports adapted to accommodate an overshoe with the heel resting against said surface of said heel support and the overshoe top extending over, bearing against and supported by the upper edge of said shoe-top support, and a tray removably positioned between said end supports below said heel and shoe-top supports for collecting drainage from overshoes placed in said rack; said shoetop and heel supports and said tray being extensible in length for lengthening said rack, with said tray sloping to limit water seepage between mating parts thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

K. I. WINGERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RACK FOR SUPPORTING OVERSHOES AND THE LIKE COMPRISING OPPOSED END SUPPORTS, A HEEL SUPPORT AND A SHOETOP SUPPORT FACING EACH OTHER AND EXTENDING BETWEEN AND SUPPORTED BY SAID END SUPPORTS, SAID HEEL SUPPORT BEING INCLINED WITH THE SURFACE FACING SAID SHOE-TOP SUPPORT TILTED UPWARDLY SLIGHTLY FROM THE VERTICAL, THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID SHOE-TOP SUPPORT BEING BELOW THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID HEEL SUPPORT, SAID HEEL AND SHOE-TOP SUPPORTS ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE AN OVERSHOE WITH THE HEEL RESTING AGAINST SAID SURFACE OF SAID HEEL SUPPORT AND THE OVERSHOE TOP EXTENDING OVER, BEARING AGAINST AND SUPPORTED BY THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID SHOE-TOP SUPPORT, AND A TRAY REMOVABLY POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID END SUPPORTS BELOW SAID HEEL AND SHOE-TOP SUPPORTS FOR COLLECTING DRAINAGE FROM OVERSHOES PLACED IN SAID RACK. 